About St. Marys PA

Every community has a story to be told. The story of St. Marys PA is one of success, of innovative and industrial people with deep conviction who have been blessed with a proud and prosperous heritage.

St. Marys PA is a unique and vibrant community with strong leaders and a labor force whose skills and dedication are among the best in the nation. It is a great place to start a business, a family, or a vacation.

Early in 1842, a group of German Bavarian Catholics, known as the German Catholic Brotherhood of Philadelphia and Baltimore, organized for the purpose of forming a colony that would be free from religious and racial persecution. The group purchased a 30,000 acre tract in the Shippen District and on December 8 of that same year the new settlement was named Sanct Marien Stadt (St. Marys) in honor of the Blessed Mother.

A few years after settling in St. Marys, a deeply religious man named Decker fell from a tree in his orchard and injured his back. He vowed to build and maintain a chapel if the injury healed, and in the course of a year or two he had recuperated enough to fulfill his promise. The Little Chapel was built in about 1856, shortly before Decker's son Michael was ordained as a priest.

Decker's Chapel has been called the smallest church in the United States. Its visitors' book includes names from throughout the country and the world.

St. Joseph's Convent is the oldest Benedictine women's community in the United States. The Sisters served critical needs in the early years of St. Marys and continue their service today, while maintaining monastic traditions. The convent was founded in 1852 and is the motherhouse for the order throughout the nation.

Today about 40% of the world's powdered metal parts are produced in north central Pennsylvania for applications in the automotive industry, lawn and garden products, home appliances, and more. Approximately 56 powder metallurgy manufacturing firms provide employment for over 10,000 people. Many of these manufacturers can trace their roots to St. Marys industry. The region is now known as the "Powdered Metal Capital of the World."

Straub Brewery, a family-owned macro-brewery, was founded in 1872 by German immigrant Peter Straub. Today the brewery operates at near capacity of 40,000 barrels annually, with two products, Straub Beer and Straub Light. The brewery is a popular tourist attraction and conducts tours of their facility weekday mornings.

With strong academic and technological initiatives and a commitment to students and community, the St. Marys Area School District gives the highest quality education for their students’ future. The High School provides a variety of extracurricular activities including 19 varsity sports, 21 different clubs or activities, and many musical activities including Marching Band and Show Choir. Both the middle school and the elementary school also provide a number of activities including intramural sports.

St. Marys has two golf courses. The St. Marys Country Club is a private nine hole golf course with excellent dining and banquet facilities. The Bavarian Hills Golf Course is a newly constructed 18-hole public facility. The community also boats two private health clubs with fitness rooms, racquetball courts, and a variety of athletic programs.

Experience the natural beauty of more than a half-million acres of the Allegheny National Forest. Rent a canoe and paddle down the wild, beautiful Clarion River. Or take a hike, ride your mountain bike, or cross-country ski along the many trail.

St. Marys PA has so much to offer new and existing residents.